Deck 1: What Is Organizational Behavior

Question 1

Trust, justice, and ethics capture what employees feel when thinking about their jobs and doing their day-to-day work.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Job satisfaction reflects employees' psychological responses to job demands that tax or exceed their capacities.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

According to the resource-based view of organizations, a firm's resources include resources related to organizational behavior, such as the knowledge, ability, and wisdom of the workforce.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The integrative model of OB presents five individual mechanisms that directly affect the individual outcomes: motivation; learning and decision making; job performance; leadership styles and behaviors; and ethics.

Question 5

The integrative model of organizational behavior suggests that individual mechanisms result in organizational and group mechanisms that, when combined with individual characteristics, lead to individual outcomes.

Question 6

The topics of leader power and negotiation summarize how individuals attain authority over others.

Question 7

To counter the effects of a bad product, effective management of OB can help make the product get better, incrementally, over the long term.

Question 8

Resources like culture, teamwork, trust, and reputation are termed "socially complex" because it is not always clear which organizations do (and do not) possess them, though it is clear how they came to develop.

Question 9

Job satisfaction has no effect on job performance but does affect organizational commitment.

Question 10

People create a history-a collective pool of experience, wisdom, and knowledge that benefits the organization.

Question 11

Big decisions are visible to competitors and observable by industry experts.

Question 12

The two primary outcomes of interest to OB researchers, employees, and managers are job performance and job satisfaction.

Question 13

Strategic management focuses on the product choices and industry characteristics that affect an organization's profitability.

Question 14

The theories and concepts found in OB are drawn from two disciplines: human resources management and strategic management.

Question 15

Much of what we know about organizational behavior is considered universal and "culture free," showing that managing people faces the same challenges everywhere.

Question 16

Like individual characteristics, group mechanisms shape satisfaction, stress, motivation, trust, and learning.

Question 17

The Container Store, a retailer based out of Texas, is considering a performance-based incentive system for its employees in which workers' pay will be based on their productivity. This is an example of a system designed to address employee motivation.

Question 18

The integrative model of OB acknowledges that employees typically work in one or more work teams, which may be led by a formal or an informal leader.

Question 19

Learning and decision making deal with how employees gain job knowledge and how they use that knowledge to make accurate judgments on the job.

Question 20

The resource-based view suggests that a resource is more valuable when it is common and easily available.

Question 21

Understanding correlation is important because OB questions are "yes or no" in nature.

Question 22

Evidence-based management is a perspective that argues that scientific findings should not form the foundation for management education.

Question 23

Causal inferences means establishing that one variable really does cause another.

Question 24

There is no research evidence that supports the relationship between good OB practices and performance, but it makes good sense that they should be related.

Question 25

It is often easy to "fix" companies that struggle with OB issues.

Question 26

Firms that do not undergo an IPO typically have shorter histories and need an infusion of cash to grow or introduce some new technology.

Question 27

According to the method of experience, people hold firmly to some belief because scientific studies have tended to replicate results using a series of samples, settings, and methods.

Question 28

The method of intuition suggests that people hold firmly to some belief because it seems obvious or self-evident.

Question 29

The method of authority suggests that people hold firmly to some belief because some respected official, agency, or source has said it is so.

Question 30

Meta-analyses cannot form the foundation for evidence-based management.

Question 31

The best way to understand correlation between two variables is to look at a scatterplot.

Question 32

Because good employees tend to move from one organization to another, they do not create a resource valuable enough for creating competitive advantage.

Question 33

A correlation describes the statistical relationship between two variables.

Question 34

Theory is defined as a collection of assertions-both verbal and symbolic-that specify how and why variables are related, as well as the conditions in which they should (and should not) be related.

Question 35

The integrative model of OB was designed with the Rule of One-Eighth in mind.

Question 36

Analyses are written predictions that specify relationships among variables.

Question 37

The strength of a correlation can be inferred from the "compactness" of its scatterplot.

Question 38

OB research suggests that there are several OB practices that each can increase profitability, that is, they serve as "magic bullets" for organizations.

Question 39

The Rule of One-Eighth suggests that about 88 percent of existing companies actually do what is required to build profits by putting people first.

Question 40

Good employees are both rare and inimitable.

Question 41

Which of these individual mechanisms captures the energetic forces that drive employees' work efforts?

A) Motivation
B) Ability
C) Job performance
D) Personality
E) Stress

Question 42

Which of the following takes the theories and principles studied in OB and explores the "nuts and bolts" applications of those principles in organizations?

A) Human resource management
B) Strategic management
C) Economic research
D) Operations management
E) Financial management

Question 43

_____ is a field of study devoted to understanding, explaining, and ultimately improving the attitudes and behaviors of individuals and groups in organizations.

A) Organizational behavior
B) Strategic management
C) Economic research
D) Human resource management
E) Financial management

Question 44

In the integrative model, ability-which includes cognitive abilities, emotional skills, and physical abilities-is classified as a(n) _____.

A) individual outcome
B) organizational mechanism
C) individual characteristic
D) individual mechanism
E) group outcome

Question 45

Which of the following is one of the two primary goals managers have for their employees?

A) Maximization of job performance
B) Optimization of stock price
C) Rationalization of job structure
D) Utilization of rational decision-making techniques
E) Obedience to organizational rules and regulations

Question 46

OB research on job performance and individual characteristics draws primarily from studies in _____.

A) industrial and organizational psychology
B) social relations
C) marketing management
D) sales management
E) economic relations

Question 47

Which of the following considers employees' psychological responses to job demands that tax or exceed their capabilities?

A) Job satisfaction
B) Ability
C) Job performance
D) Leadership style
E) Stress

Question 48

According to the integrative model of organizational behavior, motivation, trust, justice, and ethics are _____.

A) individual mechanisms
B) organizational mechanisms
C) group mechanisms
D) individual outcomes
E) group outcomes

Question 49

Which of the following is a primary individual outcome of interest to organizational behavior researchers according to the integrative model?

A) Job performance
B) Culture
C) Team processes
D) Personality
E) Stress

Question 50

OB primarily uses models from _________ to understand motivation, learning, and decision making.

A) marketing
B) economics
C) labor unions
D) strategic management
E) anthropology

Question 51

According to the integrative model, job satisfaction is a(n) ______.

A) individual outcome
B) organizational mechanism
C) group mechanism
D) individual mechanism
E) group outcome

Question 52

Which of the following focuses on the product choices and industry characteristics that affect an organization's profitability?

A) Organizational behavior
B) Process management
C) Operations management
D) Strategic management
E) Human resource management

Question 53

When a firm expands into a new product segment, it is known as _____.

A) product recall
B) diversification
C) monopolization
D) cartelization
E) product divestment

Question 54

Which of the following attributes have been identified as some of the worst behaviors exhibited by coworkers?

A) Complaining about anything and everything
B) Asking for help
C) Resisting even beneficial change
D) Being first to arrive and last to leave
E) Adapting to change

Question 55

As employees gain experience, they obtain job knowledge and use this knowledge to make accurate judgments on the job. Which individual mechanism is referred to in this statement?

A) Team processes
B) Trust, justice, and ethics
C) Learning and decision making
D) Personality and ability
E) Motivation

Question 56

Of the following, which is a primary individual outcome according to the integrative model?

A) Job satisfaction
B) Culture
C) Team processes
D) Personality
E) Organizational commitment

Question 57

Research on satisfaction, emotions, and team processes found in OB draws heavily from studies in _____.

A) anthropology
B) organizational goals
C) industrial relations
D) social psychology
E) team management

Question 58

Which of the following individual characteristics illustrated in the integrative model of OB reflect the various traits and tendencies that describe how people act, with commonly studied traits including extraversion, conscientiousness, and collectivism?

A) Trust, justice, and ethics
B) Personality and cultural values
C) Job performance and organizational commitment
D) Learning and decision making
E) Organizational structure and organizational culture

Question 59

Proponents of evidence-based management argue that human resources should be transformed into a sort of R&D department for managing people.

Question 60

Which of the following reflect(s) the degree to which employees feel that their company does business with fairness, honesty, and integrity?

A) Job satisfaction
B) Trust, justice, and ethics
C) Team processes
D) Personality and ability
E) Motivation

Question 61

Of the following methods, which suggests that people hold firmly to some belief because some respected official, agency, or source has said it is so?

A) Method of intuition
B) Method of authority
C) Method of science
D) Method of experience
E) Method of behavior

Question 62

The resource-based view suggests that a resource is more valuable when it is _____.

A) complex
B) technologically advanced
C) socially complex
D) rare
E) simple

Question 63

According to the resource-based view of organizations, people are inimitable because ______.

A) they are expensive to hire
B) they make many large decisions that could be copied by other organizations
C) they create socially complex resources based on shared culture, teamwork, trust, and reputation
D) they create temporary changes in the organization
E) they are necessary for the production of goods and/or services

Question 64

The level of creativity demonstrated by PIXAR animators is rare. Therefore, according to the _______, these employees are valuable to the firm.

A) resource-based view of organizations
B) integrative theory of organizational behavior
C) normative selection model
D) economic theory of the firm
E) performance-based theory of organizations

Question 65

Which organizational mechanism illustrated by the integrative model dictates how the units within the firm link to other units?

A) Organizational culture
B) Organizational ability
C) Organization size
D) Organizational structure
E) Organizational leadership

Question 66

Which of the following group mechanisms summarizes how individuals attain authority over others?

A) Leader cultural values
B) Leader personality
C) Leader styles and behaviors
D) Leader responsibilities
E) Leader power and negotiation

Question 67

Which of the following methods suggests that people hold firmly to some belief because it is consistent with their own experience and observations?

A) Method of intuition
B) Method of authority
C) Method of science
D) Method of experience
E) Method of behavior

Question 68

Which of the following suggests that people hold firmly to some belief because it "just stands to reason"-that is, it seems obvious or self-evident?

A) Method of intuition
B) Method of authority
C) Method of science
D) Method of experience
E) Method of behavior

Question 69

In the integrative model, which organizational mechanism captures shared knowledge about the rules, norms, and values that shape employee attitudes and behaviors?

A) Organizational structure
B) Organizational ability
C) Organizational culture
D) Job satisfaction
E) Organizational leadership

Question 70

ABC Corporation developed a new form of technology for which they hold a patent. This technology allowed them to significantly reduce the cost of production on their major product line. This resource is:

A) complex
B) simple
C) substitutable
D) inimitable
E) hypothetical

Question 71

Which of the following captures the specific actions that leaders take to influence others at work?

A) Leader styles and behaviors
B) Leader cultural values
C) Leader personality
D) Leader influence and negotiation
E) Leader power

Question 72

The resource-based view of organizations states that people are valuable assets because their knowledge, skills, and abilities are rare and also because people are ________.

A) inimitable
B) easily available
C) easy to train
D) good followers
E) infallible

Question 73

_____ is the organizational mechanism in the integrative model that captures "the way things are" in an organization.

A) Organizational structure
B) Organizational ability
C) Organizational leadership
D) Organizational performance
E) Organizational culture

Question 74

The resource-based view of organizations suggests that a resource is more valuable when it is _____.

A) complex
B) simple
C) inimitable
D) expensive
E) substitutable

Question 75

Culture, trust, teamwork, and reputation are termed _____ because it's not always clear how they came to develop, though it is clear which organizations do possess them.

A) socially complex
B) vague
C) natural structures
D) evidence-based resources
E) associative structures

Question 76

Which of the following is not one of the methods by which people "know" things?

A) Method of education
B) Method of experience
C) Method of intuition
D) Method of authority
E) Methods of science

Question 77

Which of the following statements about the resource-based view of organizations is False?

A) It suggests that resources are valuable because they are rare.
B) It describes what makes resources capable of creating long-term profits for the firm.
C) It suggests that inimitable resources are of greater value to an organization.
D) A firm's resources include resources related to organizational behavior.
E) It suggests that the value of resources depends on a single factor.

Question 78

According to the Rule of One-Eighth,

A) at least 88 percent of organizations will do everything necessary to put people first and thereby build profits.
B) at best, 12 percent of organizations will actually do what is required to build profits by putting people first.
C) 75 percent of organizations won't believe the connection between how they manage their people and the profits they earn.
D) 38 percent of the organizations try to make a single change to solve their problems.
E) one in eight organizations miserably fails at making the people to profit connection.

Question 79

Culture, teamwork, trust, and reputation are examples of _____.

A) socially complex resources
B) easy-to-develop resources
C) natural structures
D) evidence-based resources
E) associative structures

Question 80

Which of the following is an example of a group mechanism?

A) Team characteristics and diversity
B) Motivation
C) Trust, justice, and ethics
D) Organizational commitment
E) Ability